More than a thousand thoroughbred race horses were slaughtered in Ireland in 2021, with over 300 also slaughtered so far this year.
The shocking figures were uncovered this week by People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy following a Dail Question to Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue.
Deputy Murphy asked about the race horses sent to slaughter in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022.
Minister McConalogue provided the following figures for “the number of thoroughbreds slaughtered at facilities approved by my Department for each year from 2020 to date in 2022 inclusive.”
2020: 1,549
2021: 1,105
2022 (To date): 305
This brings to 13,484 the number of thoroughbred horses slaughtered at Department-approved facilities in Ireland since 2016.
A previous Dail Question from Deputy Murphy revealed the following slaughter figures.
2016: 2,952
2017: 2,829
2018: 2,526
2019: 2,218
“It is important to note that these equines were issued with passports by Weatherbys Ireland, although not all of those would necessarily have been born in Ireland,” Minister McConalogue added. ”Legislation allows for studbooks to issue passports for equines that are eligible for inclusion in the studbook but born anywhere in the EU.”
Paul Murphy TD also enquired about the number of thoroughbred foals born in the same period, the number registered to race on the track and the number of horses exiting racing over the same period. He was told that these are “operational matters for Horse Racing Ireland” and that Department officials will refer these questions to HRI for direct reply.
Thousands more Irish horses have been exported to the UK for slaughter – as revealed in the shocking BBC documentary “The Dark Side of Horse Racing” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlpQhJFd5Bo
SEE ALSO:
Five horses killed at Punchestown racing festival
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/05/07/five-horses-killed-at-punchestown-festival/
Six horses dead following Fairyhouse racing festival
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/05/12/six-horses-dead-following-fairyhouse-racing-festival/
ACTION ALERT
Don’t bet on horse racing or greyhound racing or attend racing events.
There are renewed calls on the government to stop supporting racing. Since 2001, the Irish Government has granted more than €1.5 Billion of scarce public funds to horse and greyhound racing, i.e. €1,240 million for horse racing and €309 million for greyhound racing.
Contact Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and demand an end to state funding to these two gambling activities which cause much suffering and death to animals. Tell them to redirect the funds to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar
Telephone: +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Paschal Donohoe TD
Minister for Finance
Email: paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie; minister@finance.gov.ie
Tel: 01 604 5626
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaschalDonohoe/
Tweet to @Paschald
Irish Government grants to horse racing
2001 €47,110,330
2002 €54,452,651
2003 €51,348,800
2004 €53,531,200
2005 €54,680,000
2006 €56,047,000
2007 €58,539,000
2008 €61,028,800
2009 €54,502,000
2010 €47,411,200
2011 €45,830,000
2012 €45,032,000
2013 €44,016,000
2014 €43,376,000
2015 €54,400,000
2016 €59,200,000
2017 €64,000,000
2018 €64,000,000
2019 €67,200,000
2020 €67,200,000
2021 €76,800,000
2022 €70,400,000
Total: €1,240,104,981 / €1,240 million / €1.24 billion
Irish Government grants to greyhound racing
2001 €11,777,583
2002 €13,613,163
2003 €12,837,200
2004 €13,382,800
2005 €13,670,000
2006 €14,012,000
2007 €14,572,000
2008 €15,257,000
2009 €13,625,600
2010 €11,852,800
2011 €11,460,000
2012 €11,258,000
2013 €11,004,000
2014 €10,844,000
2015 €13,600,000
2016 €14,800,000
2017 €16,000,000
2018 €16,000,000
2019 €16,800,000
2020 €16,800,000
2021 €19,200,000
2022 €17,600,000
Total: €309,966,146 / €309 million / €0.309 billion
Source: Department of Agriculture
DAIL QUESTION AND ANSWER
12/05/2022
Paul Murphy TD: To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the number of thoroughbred foals born in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; the number registered to race on the track; the number of horses exiting racing over the same period; and the number of same that were sent to slaughter.
REPLY
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
The parts of the question raised by the Deputy in relation to the number of thoroughbred foals born in 2020,2021 and to date in 2022, the number registered to race on the track and the number of horses exiting racing over the same period are operational matters for HRI. I have requested that my officials refer these parts of the question to HRI for direct reply.
Details of the number of thoroughbreds slaughtered at facilities approved by my Department for each year from 2020 to date in 2022 inclusive are given in tabular format attached.
It is important to note that these equines were issued with passports by Weatherbys Ireland, although not all of those would necessarily have been born in Ireland. Legislation allows for studbooks to issue passports for equines that are eligible for inclusion in the studbook but born anywhere in the EU.
The number of thoroughbreds slaughtered at facilities approved by my Department for each year from 2020 to date in 2022 inclusive.
Year: No of thoroughbreds slaughtered
2020: 1549
2021: 1105
2022 (To date): 305